“I should go.” Saralie stood. The hairs on her
arm pricked up as she felt the smooth palm of Ryder again on her arm. “Please no…uh something’s up, but if you
don’t want to talk about it, I can do the talking.” “Okay.” Saralie sat down again, her head of
crazy curls falling over her shoulders and into her face. She pushed them back desperately. “What’re you working on?” Saralie asked as the janitor started up his loud vacuum. “A poem. I saw your art masterpiece.” “What?”
“The one in the hallway. I mean I assume. It had the initials SL on the bottom.” Ryder waved his pencil in the air, writing the initials slowly, ending with a ‘pop’ out of his mouth for the period.
“That was mine.” “It’s great you know? I kinda put two and two
together. The sun from the picture looked a lot like the sun on your shirt that day we first met.” Saralie met his eyes shocked. “You…” Ryder pointed towards his ear as the vacuum came closer. He shook his head. He stood, taking her hand in his without even asking. It was warm, not damp, and his long fingers were somehow comforting grasping her small palm. He pulled her along and she followed, not once resisting. He led her into the auditorium, the stage propped with all sorts of Knick-knacks and do-dads. “What is this?” She asked, taking the steps up
on stage as Ryder ran ahead. “A play, aren’t you gonna call for me?” “What?” Saralie again asked. She always felt so lost with him. Ryder ran around the tower prop, popping out of the cut out window, “Romeo, Romeo where art thou Romeo?” He placed his hands over his heart. “That’s a little weird you calling out for a
boy…” “I was showing you what you were supposed to be doing.” Ryder rolled his eyes playfully and came back to where she stood. “Romeo?…Right.” She teased. “I can be.” “Sure…” “I know… nothing like Bradley.” Ryder looked
out over the empty seats. Saralie shuffled her feet, walking away from
him, towards a tree. “You know the legend?” “Of the elm tree? Who doesn’t? Silly legends
for silly children.” Saralie reached her hand out to feel the paper leaves. The paper bark was smooth, unlike the real sharp bark she could remember. “I shouldn’t have wished for him to like me.”
73
Saralie whispered. “What? Who?” Ryder flipped around, stepping
towards her. “You know who…” she turned to him, eyes
downcast. Ryder was so close. She loved how his eye lit up and how spontaneous he could be. She was always laughing around him. It was easy. “You wished for…?” His eyebrows rose to-
gether, prodding. “Yeah…I know I’m just one of those normal, typical girls that goes to this school and dreams of dating Bradley Huxton but …” she waved her arms around.
SHE WAS ALWAYS
LAUGHING AROUND HIM.
“Look Saralie Lawrence,” He said, grasping her biceps strong enough to make her stop. He was sturdy. “There is nothing normal or typical about you.” Ryder stepped closer, his eyes intense, and Saralie’s toes curled underneath her. Her cheeks paled, her eyes wide, her heart beating, popping out of her chest. “Besides who would stand un- der a tree at 10:15 pm to make a wish that is…” Ryder stopped. He froze. He stared at her.
Saralie felt her skin crawl with anticipation. “Maybe not going to come true?” He said as though hopeful. He let go, stepping back. “It did at 10:16 the star flew by and…it will.” “It was just a wish Saralie. There’s nothing
magical about a shooting star or a tree or a specific time.” “So the unbelievers say.” She gawked. “What was your wish?” He asked, sitting down on the steps. Saralie couldn’t say it. She stared at Ryder. She
stared at his gray eyes, his thin lips, and that adorable crooked nose she had come to like so much. All she knew was…it shouldn’t have been Bradley she wished for, it should’ve been him.
“If you seriously believe there’s no way out,
make him break up with you. If you can’t do it and want to, make him.” Saralie nodded to herself. That just might
work.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80